Officials in northern Iraq caused a stir in Baghdad in May when they brought Turkey's oil minister to endorse a pipeline deal that would bring Kurdish-produced oil directly to Turkey and markets beyond. Outraged Baghdad officials said Ankara was playing a dangerous game, insisting on central government approval rights of all Kurdish oil exports. Analysts say Turkey may be enjoying a rare period of better ties with the Kurdish Regional Government than with Baghdad at the moment, but it's running the risk of cutting off lucrative economic opportunities in the rest of Iraq.